The Philippines’ major investment promotion agencies (IPAs) have exceeded their 2024 targets, reflecting robust economic prospects and renewed investor confidence. The Board of Investments (BOI) reported P1.62 trillion in approved investments for 2024, surpassing its P1.5 trillion target by 8 percent. Meanwhile, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) closed the year with P214.18 billion in…
Transmission lines occupy a vast field in San Miguel, Bulacan in this photo taken June 7, 2024. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday (Dec. 31) said the PHP6.352-trillion budget for 2025 ensures funding for the rural electrification program. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc) The approval of the PHP6.352-trillion 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) ensures significant progress in…
As of Sept. 30, 2024, the Supreme Court (SC) had disposed of 4,294 cases, with a clearance rate of 87 percent and a disposition rate of 22 percent. The clearance rate shows how many cases are resolved compared to the number of new cases filed; while the disposition rate is the percentage of cases determined…
Private sector employees who will report to work on New Year’s Day are entitled to 200 percent of their salary. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reminded employers of the pay rules for Jan. 1, 2025, a regular holiday. Employees must be paid 200 percent of their wage for the first eight hours (basic…
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on government agencies to exercise prudence and responsibility in utilizing the 2025 national budget, emphasizing its role in sustaining economic growth and addressing the country’s pressing needs. On Monday, Marcos signed the P6.326-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) into law after vetoing P194 billion in line items deemed inconsistent with…
Bacolod City Police Office Police Station 2 agents seize 500 grams of shabu worth PHP3.4 million during a buy-bust in Purok Pagla-um, Barangay 17 on Monday (Dec. 30, 2024). The confiscated drugs were part of an illegal supply worth PHP11.9 million recovered in three police operations conducted since Dec. 29. (Photo courtesy of BCPO) BACOLOD CITY –…
Police Regional Office-Central Visayas officer-in-charge Brig. Gen. Roy Parena inspects a firecracker and pyrotechnic stall at South Road Properties in Cebu City on Tuesday (Dec. 31, 2024). The inspection aims to ensure vendors comply with safety and regulatory measures to prevent firecracker-related incidents. (Contributed photo) CEBU CITY – The top police official in Central Visayas conducted inspections…
HAVANA — Cuba released on Monday a Salvadoran man, Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon, after he served 30 years in prison over a wave of 1997 hotel bombings, local media reported. “Today, after serving his sentence, Cruz Leon has been released, demonstrating that Cuba respects its laws and guarantees justice, even for those who have committed…
HANOI – Vietnam’s rice exports set new records in both volume and value, this year, at nine million tonnes and 5.7 billion U.S. dollars, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It was reported today that rice exports increased by 11 percent in volume and 24 percent in value over 2023. This year’s average…
GENEVA — Climate change sparked a trail of extreme weather and record heat in 2024, the United Nations said, urging the world to pull back from the “road to ruin.” The outgoing year is set to be the warmest ever recorded, the UN’s weather and climate agency said, capping a decade of unprecedented heat. Meanwhile, greenhouse gas emissions…